Salvador, Brazil

Salvador, Brazil
Sept. 07- Sept. 11

Our first day in Salvador, Brazil, I spent the day traveling with five other students. We spent the morning exploring around the part of the city closest to the port that we were docked at. Since it was a Sunday and Brazil’s Independence Day many of the stores were closed and many flocked to the streets to watch the parade. I was somewhat disappointed on our initial tour of the upper city. It was really dirty and there were many beggars on the streets. One man attempted to mug me and one of the other girls so we learned how to be very cautious after that. We did some shopping center near our port and ate some great Brazilian dishes such as these big cast iron bowls filled with seafood, chicken and vegetables cooked in palm oil and spices,
Later that afternoon we discovered Pelorinoh and were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled on a lively street full of music, dance, merchants, colorful colonial architecture and cobble streets. I gained more ease as we found our way around and began witnessing the beauty of the surroundings.
I spent two mornings in the Calabar favela (favela is a word for slum). I took two school trips there to compare international education systems and another to interact with the children within the school. The schools I visited were very simple. They had either a chalkboard or a whiteboard some desks and handmade posters on the walls. All the books for the classrooms were held in the principal’s room/library. Depending on the school children might where uniforms. The ones in less wealthy areas did not require them. The main funding of many public schools relied on donations from outside resources. On the second day that I visited, we brought them a few toys like bubbles, cards, paper and crayons and play-dough. They were so excited! I’m pretty sure we were having as much fun as they were though. I spent at least ten minutes just blowing bubbles with one boy. He just never got tired of it, haha. They also Loved having pictures taken of them and seeing the immediate result on the camera.
On Tuesday nights in the upper city there is live music, dancing and Capoiera, a mix of dance and martial arts. Although the culture was beautiful and fun it was hard to fully enjoy the display with the constant and hassling for money.
On my last day I visited an Afro-Brazilian museum and later walked through a quilombo, where the religion Candomble is practiced. It was a really impressive to see the different little houses for each of the orishas.
I went to few of the tourist parts of town but it is completely different from the way of life that the majority of the Salvador population lives. What was impressive to me was the growth in the schools as well as the favelas that has happened in the past thirty years. Rights have improved, and favelas have been installed with electricity, roofs, and running water. Schools have been improving with the help of the last generation of students who understand how to better entice parents to support their child’s education as well as attract children to come to school. They have learned how to better engage the students throughout the day such as teaching Afro-Brazilian history through dancing Samba and playing Capoiera, and also relating their education in Portuguese, science, math, and history to what they experience in the favelas.
I wish I could have made it to a city outside of Salvador so I could have a more well-rounded understanding of Brazil but I hear lots from others who had ventured to Rio de Janeiro, San Paolo and I heard good things. I can’t wait for Namibia!!!!!!!

Puerto Rico

Hey everyone!
Everything has been great onboard the Explorer!
Right now we are docked in Puerto Rico. It is so gorgeous but, sadly, we are not allowed to explore off of the ship but I am up on the deck looking out at the country. I have no idea what city we are in, they weren’t very detailed on how long we would be here or where we were exactly. We are here on a bunker stop to fuel up.
Today is the first day of classes. I had my class on local religious and food systems at 0800 or 8 a.m. So early!
Last night we were in some pretty rough waters. I had to be at a meeting at the bow on deck 6, which is the area of the ship that seems to the area with the most rocking. I’m not one to get sea sick, but that was pretty rough. I could not wait to get out of there!
I have an inside cabin (without a window), towards the middle of the ship. It is really strange to be in this closed room that is rockin’ and rollin’. My one comfort is to watch my sarong, which is hanging on my wall, sway from side to side. Watching it at least reassures me that I’m not the only thing going in circles.
We arrive in Brazil next Sunday (not sure of the date), so that will be the next update you get from me.
We do not have free internet here. But I do get free emailing at my new address, smgatten@semesteratsea.net
Talk to you later!
-Steph

Practically there

Leaving in THREE days!  

My Very gracious dad has agreed to drive me to the SFO airport at 4 a.m. on Thursday the 28th.

I AM SO EXCITED!